1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a game apparatus and an associated method of play that is intended to educate the game's players about the sciences associated with DNA technology/biotechnology and how those sciences are used, among other things, to identify specific people, diseases and the like.
2. Prior Art Description
It is well known that people learn more efficiently if the learning experience is enjoyable and enables the person being taught to actively participate in the learning process. It is for this reason that educators have often created games that embody the subject that is to be taught. By having people play the game, the target information is taught to the players in a fun, entertaining and interactive manner. The prior art record is replete with games that are intended to teach their players different subjects. Many such games teach the fundamentals of education such as reading, arithmetic, geography and the like. However, much fewer games are directed toward the more advanced sciences such as chemistry and biology. The few games that are associated with the more advanced sciences teach only one aspect of that science and often do not explain any real life application for that science. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,093 to LaHav, entitled GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES FOR A GAME ADAPTED TO TEACH CHEMISTRY, a game is disclosed that is intended to teach the periodic chart of elements. Although the game is effective in teaching how the periodic chart is organized and how it is referenced, the game gives no explanation of how the periodic chart or chemistry in general is used in everyday life. Without the association of the learned material to everyday life, students often have a hard time relating to the learned material, and therefore do not show much interest.
Of all the more advanced sciences, few have been advancing as rapidly as have the sciences related to biotechnology. Within the biotechnology field, DNA sequence analysis seems to be having a large effect on everyday society. DNA technology is being used to identify criminals in murder cases by matching blood samples to suspects. DNA technology is also being used to identify disease-causing genes. Both applications for DNA technologies are well advertised in the news, however the actual science involved in the use of DNA is unknown to the vast majority of people. The sciences involved in DNA biotechnology are fairly complex and have been traditionally reserved to specific college level courses. As such, the teaching aids used within these courses were intended for lecture demonstrations by a teacher in front of a classroom and were not intended for entertainment or player participation. Such prior art teaching aids are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,924 to Baker, entitled DNA-RNA TEACHING AID. In the Baker patent, a demonstrative model of a strand of DNA is provided. Although useful for visualization purposes in support of a lecture on DNA, the model has little entertainment value of its own.
A need, therefore, exists for an entertaining game and method of play for educating people about the technologies associated with DNA. The need also exists for a game that explains DNA technologies to students who have not yet achieved a college level education. Therefore, the game and method of play must be simple to understand and entertaining to play.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a game and method of play that teaches DNA technologies in a manner that is easy to understand, entertaining to play and utilizes real life applications to engage the attentions and interests of the players as they play.